From June 28, every website must be accessible to everyone. A blessing or a curse?

From June 28, the EU Accessibility Act will come into force. The intention is that websites or other digital resources are easier to read for anyone with any disability. Think of someone who is visually impaired or blind or someone who has trouble focusing and is difficult to deal with many stimuli. It is an obligation, but is that a bad thing?

We don't think so. For a number of reasons. First of all, because your information simply has to be suitable for everyone. The trend that is also spreading from the US to Europe that you should not take inclusivity into account seems to be heading in a different direction, but whether that is smart is questionable. Did you know that 25% of people have trouble with a website? If you make sure you solve that for the majority of those people, it is not only good for those people, but also for your own company. After all, you can increase your target group by 25% in one go without too much effort. Easy, isn't it? Plus, it really makes you feel good. Trust me.

But besides complying with the law and making it easier for people to read your website, it's also good for your search results. By taking accessibility into account, you bring more structure, contrast, etc. to your website. The google bots that index your site like that.

So you have 3 reasons to work on accessibility in your website at once

1. You show that you are there for everyone and you effortlessly expand your target group
2. You work on your findability
3. You comply with the EU Accessibility Act

Does the start of this law involve enforcement?

Certainly not from the start. And it is also expected that this will not go so fast. But in the long run, this will certainly happen. If there are complaints and enough people get involved with them before the enforcement authorities, a fine will probably be issued. But the first year is mainly about raising awareness.

What exactly is digital accessibility?

Digital accessibility means that a website or application can be used by anyone, regardless of physical or cognitive disabilities. This includes:

• Visually impaired people who use screen readers
• Users who navigate with a keyboard instead of a mouse
• People with color blindness who have difficulty with certain color combinations
• Users with dyslexia or learning disabilities

Accessible websites are designed according to guidelines such as the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), which are used as a standard worldwide.

How to make your website accessible

At Ambasco, we take a design-first approach that includes accessibility from the start. A few key principles:

• Optimising contrasts: colors that make enough distinction for everyone
• Support keyboard navigationn: make sure all functions are accessible without a mouse
• Clear structure: use semantic HTML and logical heading hierarchy
• Use Landmarks. Tell via the web code which elements of your website are the header, footer, body, navigation, etc..
• Alternate texts: for all visual elements
• Readability: simple language, clear calls to actions and consistent layout

Test your website

You can test your own website with tools. For example, the Accessibility Insights for Web extension is available for Chrome.. This allows you to easily see how your website performs on the basic elements.

What does it give?

An accessible website isn't just a socially responsible gesture — it's a strategic move. You ensure:

• Higher user satisfaction
• Lower bounce rate
• Broader target group
• Future-proofing

In short: accessibility is not a limitation, but rather a reinforcement of your digital brand experience. Want to know more? Have a look at our web design and web accessibility page. Of course we would like to have a conversation.

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